quarta-feira, 21 de janeiro de 2009

If “the penny has dropped” (british idiom) has a similar in Brazil which is called "caiu a ficha". Both mean when someone has finally realised the situation they are in after possibly being unaware of it for a long time, depending on the situation.

This idiom comes from UK, specially the phrase dates back to the popular penny-slot arcades. The penny would often stick halfway down the slot and the user would then have to either wait, or give the machine a thump before the ‘penny finally dropped’ and they could begin playing.

segunda-feira, 22 de setembro de 2008

This expressions means "to do well," "to have success," or to "enjoy oneself." It originated in Minas Gerais during the gold boom, when horses and donkeys were used to haul the gold out of the mines. The gold dust would get all over the horse, so the miners would "wash" the horse off to get the gold when they left the mine.

domingo, 17 de agosto de 2008

Cadê is probably one of those most useful and most entertaining words to learn in Portuguese, because of its straightforward usage and easy pronunciation.

It means "where is..." followed by the object. This can be an actual object or a person.

This is a Brazilian expression that emerged from a language evolution from "o que é de..." to "quedê?" to "cadê?"

Quedê is still used in some parts of Brazil, but you will most frequently hear cadê.

Cadê meu livro? Where's my book?

Cadê o seu casaco? Where's your coat?

Cadê a sua mãe? Where's your mom?

Cadê você? Where are you?

We can also use cadê alone to mean, "Where is it?"

We use this if we haven't understood where the object is, or if we still can't find the object.

O livro está lá embaixo da mesa. The book is under the table.

Cadê? Where/Where is it?When referring to a person, though, we can also use the expression onde estar. Estar is the temporary state of to be, and is the standard grammatical form of the question, especially when referring to people.